News

Concrete has many uses, but did you ever think you would see a fully functional bicycle made from the versatile construction material?

September 22, 2022
Check out this YouTube video that shows the entire design and construction process that resulted in a 300 pound concrete bicycle.

Celebrating Founding Member Omar Hindiyeh! 

July 8, 2022
At this year’s 11th Annual Founders Golf Tournament (our last Founders Tournament), we will honor Founding Member Omar Hindiyeh.

Case Studies: The Perils of Poor Rim Joist Closure Construction

October 15, 2021

In 1999, renowned building envelope guru Joseph Lstiburek, PhD, PE, of the Building Science Corporation in Westford, MA, published a lengthy study, “Air Pressure and Building Envelopes”, demonstrating that: “Control of air pressure is key to several important performance aspects of the building system.” Dr. Lstiburek’s informative analysis includes performance comparisons of “well-defined” and “poorly-defined” air-pressure boundaries, including the “wind tunnel effect” produced by “leaky” rim joists (aka, band joists) at multistory buildings. 

Westcon welcomes our newest sponsor, Oasis!

November 22, 2019

Offering Innovative HR Solutions The Oasis Advantage For a limited time, Oasis, a Paychex® Company, is offering all members of Westcon one (1) free month of administration fees (first month). Oasis, a Paychex® Company, is a leading Professional Employer Organization…

ICYMI: California Supreme Court Clears the Way for Employee Cal/OSHA Lawsuits

May 20, 2019

A new Supreme Court decision, Solus Industrial Innovations, Inc. v. Superior Court, allows employees allegedly suffering injuries caused by Cal/OSHA violations to sue for unfair business practices. Read full source article.…

Member Brian Neumann on Podcast

March 25, 2019

Below is an interview with Westcon Past President Brian Neumann on the “Everything Building Envelope” podcast. The interview was conducted December 2017. (Please allow the audio a few moments to load). http://www.everythingbuildingenvelope.com/gci/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Episode-37-Neumann-Sloat-Arnold-Architects.mp3

New Requirement for Residential Solar Energy System Contracts to Take Effect January 1, 2019

November 19, 2018

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is notifying the California construction industry that effective January 1, 2019, contractors who install residential solar energy systems will be required to comply with a new consumer notice requirement. Assembly Bill 1070, Stats of…

CSLB Bulletin: Licensed Contractors Needed for Seismic Retrofits

November 6, 2018
​​​​​​​
Licensed contractors eager to grow their business and receive free specialized FEMA training can participate in Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB), a California program offering homeowners up to $3,000 toward a code-compliant seismic retrofit. In 2019, EBB will receive FEMA funds and expand across California into new cities and ZIP Codes, leading to a growing need for trained contractors.

Important Westcon Updates

September 12, 2019

Honorary Membership
At the last WESTCON Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to extend Honorary Membership to all deceased WESTCON members of one year or more.
Sadly, shortly thereafter, we learned of the passing of recent Past-President John Schneider, and WESTCON regular meeting attendee Ray Booth, AIA.
John Schneider was the President of All About Homes, a multi-disciplined building inspection, project management, construction defect and standard of care assessments, as well as expert witness firm. John was an active Past-President of WESTCON known for his calm demeanor during tense progressive times for the organization.

New Immigration Laws – What Construction Contractors and Consultants Must Know

January 31, 2018

We encourage you to review the article below on new immigration laws. AB 450, among other things, prohibits California employers from allowing ICE agents in non-public areas of the business without a court order.